Seattle Focus Now On “Employee” Tax For Transit

Efforts to fund Seattle transit with a property tax increase have now been overshadowed by two competing proposals from City Hall. Mayor Ed Murray opposes using a property tax increase to fund transit needs within the City of Seattle, as proposed in a ballot initiative by the group Friends of Transit.

Instead, the Mayor favors a 0.1% increase in the sales tax and a $60 car tab fee. Councilmembers Licata and Sawant have recently announced their own proposal, which would fund transit through an increase in the City’s parking tax and a new “employee” tax charged to city businesses at an annual rate of $18.00 per employee.

Seattle King County REALTORS® will evaluate the impact of these proposals on members and the real estate industry. If you have an opinion you’d like to share please contact David Crowell at dcrowell@nwrealtor.com.